


Black Glitter

by squibbles_png



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Jasico - Freeform, M/M, Soulmate ink au, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-10-23 18:49:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17688935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squibbles_png/pseuds/squibbles_png
Summary: Nico loved the thought of finding his soulmate, until he doesn't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first Jasico fic. I'm super excited to write this story. But FYI I'm a noob writer, so if you have any recommendations for improvement please comment!

Nico di Angelo was six when he first found out about soulmates.  _ He was sitting in the living room coloring with Bianca while his mom read on the recliner. Nico caught himself staring at the red ring permanently inked on his mother’s wrist. _

_ “Mamma? What’s the red?” he asked, pointing at her left arm. She paused looking at her son. Bianca looked between the two of them, nervously fiddling with the sleeves of her dress. Maria sighed, marking her spot in the book, putting it on the coffee table, then patting her lap. _

_ “Come here, Nico,” she told him softly. Nico scrambled up and climbed in his mother’s lap. _

_ “Do you know about soulmates?” she asked him. He shook his head, Bianca coming over to sit on the couch next to Maria’s chair, ready to hear more about the stories her school friends told her. _

_ “Well, it’s someone who you’re supposed to be with. Fall in love with them, they make you happy, you grow old together.” Nico stared wide eyed, an exciting smile gracing his lips. _

_ “How do I tell who my soulmate is, Mamma?” he asked, hands clasped, shaking. _

_ “You can write to each other, using your skin as paper. It will show up on your soulmate’s skin also,” she told her children. “But,” she paused, looking down at her wrist. “When your soulmate dies, a red band appears.” Nico paused, but then wrapped his arms around her neck. _

_ “It’s okay, Mamma,” he told her. “You got me and Bi.” Maria smiled and hugged her son back. _

_ “Mamma?” Bianca asked. The two hugging Di Angelos broke apart to look at her. _

_ “Yes, Bianca?” _

_ “What about black bands? I have one of those,” she trailed off, seeing her mother’s face fall. _

_ “Oh, sweetie, come here,” Maria told her. Bianca came to her, sitting on her other leg. _

_ “Y-you’re band means you don’t have a soulmate,” she told her eldest child. Bianca’s face fell and tears welled up in her eyes. _

_ “Bi, it’s okay!” Nico quickly squeaked, diving to hug his sister. The small family sat there, holding each other. _

But that was six years ago and his mother is gone, he doesn’t know where his father is, and all he has left is Bianca , but they’re in a weird place with strange contraptions that were called arcade games. Someone who called themselves a lawyer dropped them off and left them there all alone. 

* * *

 

He was playing a game called pacman, the most fun game in his opinion. He felt a tap on his shoulder, but he didn’t look up, focusing on his game. He felt another tap, swatting at the hand.

“One second”, he told the person. Once he finished he turned to the boy that stood next to him. He was no older than himself but he wore a bright orange shirt, a blue hoodie, and jean shorts. His black hair was a mess like he just got out of bed, but his eyes are what made Nico pause. They were a pretty green, like the sea. The boy gave him a small, nervous smile.  
“Do you know what year it is?” he asked, fiddling with a gold ball point in hands.

“It’s 1942, silly,” Nico told him, giggling when the boys face turned to confusion. The boy quickly smiled, the confusion vanishing.

“Thank you, that’s all. Have a nice day!” he said while turning around and running off. Nico shrugged it off, turning back to pacman to try to beat his own record.

* * *

 

It was a week or so after they were dropped off at the hotel, that little messy drawings appeared on his arms. Soon a name appeared next to them, almost not readable. ‘Jason’ was scribbled on his left arm in blue marker. Nico squealed, leaving the game he was playing to run around, calling out to his older sister.

“Bianca! Bianca! Where are you?” he yelled out, pushing past people to try to find his sister. He eventually found her talking to another girl, she wore crazy clothes like everyone else. Her hair bright pink was tied up with a fluffy yellow band and a flower print dress that hid under a leather jacket.

“Bianca!” he yelled. Said person looked up, giving him a slight glare.

“What?” she asked, annoyed.

“Look!” he yelped, pushing his arm in her face. Her face fell a little as she saw what her brother’s excitement was about. But she smiled, taking his arm to get a better look. 

“Are you going to write back?” she asked him, giggling as Nico’s soulmate drew she assumed themselves, but surrounded by lightning. The person’s name now covered in more drawings.

“I don’t have anything to write with,” he pouted. The girl, he learned to be named Cherry, digged into one her pockets of the leather jacket. She brought out of a black glitter pen, handing it to the excited boy.

“Here ya go, little dude,” she told him, a thick southern accent coming out. He nodded his thanks and pulled off the cap, quickly writing ‘hi’ on the untouched arm. His soulmates doodles paused for a second. Then in bigger letters appeared in the same blue. ‘HI. I Jason. Wat iz yr nam?’ He needed Bianca and Cherry to help him decipher what they were saying.

“They’re probably young by the looks of it,” Cherry said. Nico smiled writing down ‘My name is Nico’ he wrote back. For hours Nico sat next to the chatting girls, making conversation with his young soulmate. He couldn’t wait to meet them.

* * *

 

Maybe it was a couple days later, he didn’t know how long had passed, when the lawyer came to fetch Bianca and him again. The outside world changed so much, the buildings were huge and the cars were different, but comfy nothingless. He dropped them off at a school and left, a repeat of the hotel all over again.

They met a kid named Grover Underwood. He had problems with his legs, Bianca told him, that’s why he needed the crutches. Sometime in the hotel Nico picked up a card game called MythoMagic. He had a lot of cards and most of the figures, all he needed was Hades, the coolest god if he said so himself. He tried to teach Grover but he didn’t understand it at all, so Nio stopped trying.

He sat next to Grover and Bianca at lunch while they chatted about the upcoming dance. Nico tuned them out, focusing on writing to Jason. He learned that he lived in California, his favorite color was blue, and he knew a lot about mythology. Nico noticed his spelling and grammar got better, but never mentioned it to the boy.

* * *

 

He couldn’t believe his eyes and ears as he was shown around this camp. The Greek gods were real and one runned the camp and a centar! Nico was thrilled, eyes moving to one thing to another so quickly it hurt. He was being shown by twin, he didn’t know if they were, sons of Hermes. He did the talking though, chatting their ears off, but they didn’t mind.

Bianca had become a hunter and left with the mean, grumpy leader hunter. Percy had gone to follow them, wanting to save his girlfriend, Annabelle he thinks her name was. But he knew Bianca was happy with girls like her, girls with no soulmates. He was glad she was happy, but he missed her. But Percy will protect her, he promised after all.

He so badly wanted to tell Jason about the gods, how they were real, and Nico’s dad was one of them. But he had to wait until they met, until he trusted him.

As he tried to sleep all he could think about was who was his dad and trying to picture what Jason looks like.

* * *

 

Nico heaved as he ran through the woods, trying to get away from everything. He fell, tripping over a root. He landed on his hands and knees, but made no move to get up. He sobbed, grabbing at the ground in a death grip. Tears clogged his vision, snot running down his face as his sounds of despair filled the woods.

This couldn’t be happening. Bianca could not be dead. Percy promised he would protect her! Nico screamed, not caring who or what heard. He just wanted to disappear from the world. But his scream cut off as a growl filled the air and he went ridgid. He looked up to see a giant dog in front of him. He couldn’t do anything before the dog, no beast, bit his collar and he was dragged into empty, swirling darkness.

* * *

 

Nico didn’t know when he stopped writing to Jason, but he did. He couldn’t write without thinking about all the stuff he wanted to angrily admit. But most of all guilt filled him when he thought about Jason. Here he was, having the most amazing, nice, loyal soulmate but all he could think about was Percy. His charming smile, his tan skin, his disheveled hair, and those god damn sea green eyes. How could he think about someone else when he was supposed to only think about Jason?

Jason wrote to him, trying to get him to talk. He tried for two years before giving up, Nico guessed. He just stopped writing all together. It hurt but he knew it was the right thing to do. Jason deserved better than him after all. He didn’t need a broken son of Hades in his life.

* * *

 

He was glad for Hazel Levesque. She wasn’t Bianca but she was Hazel. His other sister, a daughter of Pluto. He was a little disappointed that he didn’t find Bianca but Hazel was different and he liked that. But he promised himself that he would protect her, not let what happened to Bianca happen to Hazel. He would do anything in his power to keep her safe. Even if it meant dying in the process.

* * *

 

This couldn’t be real. It wasn’t him, it couldn’t be. Nico stared wide eyed at the demigod in front of him. The tall blonde boy stood anxiously, giving a confused look when Nico didn’t shake his hand back.

“I-i,” Nico stuttered, casting Annabeth a look. He took a step back towards a shadow casted by her. Blondy gave Nico a hurt look, his blue eyes casting down towards where he was stepping.

“I need to leave. T-to look for Percy and everything,” he told the group, but mostly directed at Annabeth.

She reached out to him, “Nico, wait,” but he was gone. All was left were the shadows melting back into their rightful place.

Nico appeared in the only place that felt like home, right to Hazel. He couldn’t believe it. He found him. He found his soulmate. He found Jason and he wanted to scream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is minor swearing, nothing bad.

Jason didn’t remember much of his mother. All he knew was that she abandoned him and she died in a car accident later. The only mother like figure he knew is Lupa, the wolf goddess who trained him for the Twelfth Legion.

Lupa was the one to tell him about soulmates. How they were the person that he was destined to be with, Venus choosing who you will love for the entirety of your life. Jason loved the idea of soulmates, excited to found out who is his soulmate.

He was around six years old when he learned how to write his name, finally being able to communicate with his soulmate. He pestered some older kids into giving him something to write with. They eventually gave him a set of markers and he got to work. 

He picked a light blue marker, his favorite color, and wrote his name nice and big, the J and S backwards. Then he drew himself, adding little lightning bolts. He then started adding suns, clouds, anything he could think of. He didn’t notice his name was covered until his left arm tingled. He looked over to see something being written. He needed an older kid, Thomas to read what it said to him.

“It says hi, Jay,” the teen told him.

“What do I say?” Jason asked him back, his blue eyes wide.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself?” Thomas told him, laughing when Jason quickly nodded his head, asking for more help. They spent the rest of the day talking to Jason’s soulmate. But that was the last time he saw Thomas. He went on a quest and never returned to New Rome, leaving Jason all alone.

* * *

 

Jason didn’t know why he choose to join the Fifth Cohort. Maybe it was their determination to succeed or the fact they were the underdogs or it was because Thomas was in the Fifth Cohort and Jason wanted to honor him. He kept that to himself, his own tribute to his old friend.

He looked at his SPQR tattoo, the eagles wings spread wide. There were nine lines underneath, his years spent at Camp Jupiter. Jason wondered if they showed up on Nico, the boy hasn’t mentioned them though. Maybe it was part of the magic that kept mortals from seeing the marks.

He looked to Dakota who stood next to him drinking his stupid Kool-Aid. He was chatting happily to his soulmate, Gwen.

“So, Jay, do you have a soulmate?” Dakota brought Jason out of his trance. The couple was staring at him.

“Of course I do,” he scoffed, picking up a pebble and throwing it.

“Well, what’s her name then?” the son of Bacchus pushed. Jason froze, looking at his hand. Should he tell them? I mean same-sex soulmates aren’t uncommon he thought.

“Um, h-, my s-soulmates a b-boy,” he stuttered, not looking up at the two when there was a minute of silence.

“Oh, that’s cool. What’s his name?” this time Gwen spoke, brushing her hair behind her ears.

“Nico. We haven’t told each other our last names though,” Jason told them, smiling big.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want him to judge me because of my mom.”  
“That makes sense.”

“Did I tell you how Gwen and I met?” Dakota interrupted, going on to tell him about how they met, Gwen adding bits and pieces. He couldn’t wait to meet Nico, just wanting to know how he looks like.

* * *

 

Jason was fourteen when Reyna  Avila Ramírez-Arellano showed up. She was quiet but fierce, being a daughter of the goddess of war, Bellona. Around that time Nico stopped writing to him. He knew the boy wasn’t dead since a red band didn’t appear. He also became Praetor, something wished he could tell Nico, but he was mortal and he knew his soulmate wouldn’t answer him. Jason tried millions of times and continued to do so for two years.

He sighed, kicking at the dirt in frustration. Why did he have to stop writing? Is Nico okay? Is he safe? Is he purposely ignoring him? Why? Why? WHY? Millions of questions swirled in his head and he felt like crying, screaming, or both.

“You okay?” Jason’s head shot up, staring wide eyed at the girl in front of him. Reyna stood there, hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised and a frown on her face.

“I-i’m fine,” he growled, looking away.

“You don’t look fine to me. What’s bothering the Praetor?” she sat next to him, looking at the sunset rising behind the buildings of New Rome. Jason didn’t say anything, resting his elbows on his knees and resting his face in his hands.

“Well? I don’t bite, Grace.”

“Fine. My soulmate stopped talking to me and I don’t know if he’s okay or if he’s ignoring me,” Jason told the girl next to him, regretting it immediately. Why did he tell her? Should wouldn’t judge him, will she?

“No red band?” she asked, ignoring the part about his soulmate being a guy. He let out a sigh of relief and continued.

“No red band. He just stopped talking me and I’m so worried.” Jason scrunched up his face, trying to stop the tears.

“I have a black band, Jason. Venus just decided I didn’t need one. I’m a little glad, but disappointed. But don’t worry, he might just be going through something. Patience is key.” Jason didn’t know how much he could wait for Nico to get his shit together.

* * *

 

He didn’t know where he is. Jason’s eyes looked around everywhere on the bus. First the seat in front of him, the seat across, the windows and then to the girl holding his hand, talking to the boy in front of them. She was beautiful. Light brown skin, dark hair, and eyes that he couldn’t quite tell the color of. The problem was that he couldn’t remember her. Couldn’t remember the boy in front of him. Couldn’t remember anything!

The girl turned to him, a confused look matching his own. “Jason? You okay?” she asked, squeezing his hand. He quickly pulled it away, holding it to his chest.

“W-who are you? Where am I?” she couldn’t answer him before there was someone yelling.

“Alright, cupcakes! Listen up!” yelled a short man at the front of the bus. He wore a orange polo short, baggy jeans, and a baseball cap. But he carried a baseball bat, waving it around as he spoke, the kids in front leaning away as far as they possibly could.

“Hey, Coach Hedge! You should use the megaphone!” called the boy in front of them. His curly hair bounced as he fiddled, turning to face Jason and mystery girl. He gave them a big smile, something twinkling in his dark brown, almost black eyes.

“Watch this, guys,” he told them. The girl gave him a pointed look.

“Leo, what did you do?” Leo shrugged, pointing to their teacher who followed Leo’s advice.

“Like your innocent, Piper,” he snarked back just as mooing and laughter filled the bus. Piper, now that Jason knew her name, laughed, punching Leo in the shoulder.

“Valdez!” roared the coach. 

Jason was getting scared. Where is he? Who is he?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Hazel have a sibling moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya everyone! I finally got around to finishing chapter three, I hope you like the update!
> 
> Also I just found out beta readers are a thing, so if anyone would like to be a beta reader for this story, please comment, I would appreciate it a lot!

The kid was creepy for sure, Jason thought. He was sickly skinny and pale, dark bags under his eyes. Even though he slept most of the time in the jar, he was extremely tired. Hazel had to help her brother eat chicken and noodle soup, spooning him the liquid while he blankly stared at the bowl. But he couldn’t eat much before he got sick.

The rest of The Seven ate quietly, briefly glancing at the son of Hades from time to time. Jason didn’t trust him, especially after what Percy told them about his dip into the River Styx. The only reason they stayed to eat was to hear what he had to say.

He finished eating, avoiding everyone’s eyes. It seemed he was avoiding Jason’s more than the others. Hazel stood up and put her hands on his shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

“Nico has something to tell you guys,” she told them something they already knew. Nico shakily stood up with the help of his sister, Hazel holding his arms to steady him.

“G-gaia has opened the doors,” he spoke, his voice scratchy and worn. “I tried to close them myself, but they’re guarded with hundreds, if not thousands of monsters,” he continued, looking anywhere but the demigods in front of him.

“Well, where are they?” Leo asked, giving Nico a look. Said boy looked sick at what he said, not answering the son of Hephaestus’s question.

“One is in Rome, the other is in, um, Tartarus,” Hazel whispered. They all froze, staring wide eyed at the boy.

“You didn’t, Nico,” Annabeth trailed off. Nico only nodded his head.

“I was so close to the doors, but those giants captured me and put me in that stupid jar,” he sighed.

“You went through Tartarus alone?” Percy asked, shifting in his seat, gripping Annabeth’s hand. Nico only nodded, a frown on his face.

“What’s so bad about this place?” Leo broke the silence, trying to lighten the mood but he only made it worse.

“Tartarus is where the most brutal monsters come from. Where monsters go after we ‘kill’ them,” Nico growled, glaring at the latino boy. Leo held up his hands, giving Nico a smirk.

“Alright, Death Breath, chill,” he spoke, laughing hesitantly.

Even though Jason couldn’t remember much, he somehow remembered about the stories of Tartarus. How could Nico di Angelo be alive right now? From what it sounds he made it so close to the doors, almost completed the hard part of their quest. Jason didn’t know what they were going to do with the doors, but they still had a quest to continue.

* * *

 

Piper and Jason’s relationship didn’t last long. As soon as he was told about soulmates again he immediately wrote to his soulmate, Piper’s arm right next to his to see if they were really soulmates. But the small ‘hi’ he wrote didn’t show up on her arm. He could tell she was disappointed, Piper sadly pulling her sleeve down.

Jason would be lying if he said he was disappointed. As beautiful as Piper was, it just felt wrong. He felt guilty that he hoped she was his soulmate, like he was deceiving who ever they are.

As soon as they realized it was the mist tricking them into believing they were soulmates, Piper remembered hers, how her soulmate never responded to her. He wished he could remember his but he couldn’t remember anything. He couldn’t remember their name, their age, the things they liked. He hated Juno, he hated her for doing this to him.

* * *

How could he look Jason in the face? Even though he couldn’t remember Nico’s name, he was terrified. The shaking wasn’t just from being weak, it was partly from him thinking Jason was going to suddenly remember and lash out at him.

Nico wanted to tell Hazel about Jason, about him not writing to Jason, about the little ‘hi’ that appeared on his left wrist. So he did.

After telling the rest about the doors, he pulled Hazel aside and into her room to talk. She sat him on the bed and stood in front of her brother.

“What’s the matter, Nico?” she asked, on frown on her face, knowing him enough to feel something was wrong with her brother. He sighed, fiddling with his sleeve. He slowly pulled up his left coat sleeve, showing off the small scribble.

“It’s about my soulmate,” he told her, looking up to see her face light up. 

“Who is it?” she asked excitedly. Frank was her soulmate, even though they were super shy around each other and getting used to the idea, Nico knew they would love and take care of each other always. Plus the guy wasn’t so bad.

“About that. Let me tell you about my time in the casino.” Hazel’s face fell and she sat next to her brother, wrapping him into a hug as he recounted his time with Bianca, how it only felt like he was in that place for only a week, how Nico didn’t even consider his soulmate was aging faster. He told her about Percy and Bianca, him getting taken from camp by a hellhound to his father. At the end Hazel was crying and Nico was close to shedding tears of his own, he never told her really anything until now.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked after she stopped her crying, sniffling and wiping her nose. Nico shrugged, not having the guts to look his sister in the eye.

“I didn’t want you to see me as..as a freak,” he whispered. Hazel gasped, hugging him tight and close to herself.

“Why would you think that?” she exclaimed, turning her body to face him.

“Because my soulmate is a guy. It-was taboo.” She gave him a stern look and grabbed his face, making him look at her.

“Now you listen to me, Nico di Angelo. You are not a freak. You’re an amazing, caring, loyal, brave, and the sweetest person I have ever met. You’re the best brother I could ever want and have. And the key word is was, Nico. It was taboo, now go out there and tell Jason who you are,” she stated firmly, making sure Nico heard and understood every word she told him. 

Nico started crying, stuffing his head into her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her as he weeped. She shushed him, rubbing his back. He eventually pulled away, wiping his eyes.

“I can’t tell him yet, Hazel. He doesn’t remember anything,” he told her softly, voice even worse.

“So make him remember,” she smiled, patting him on the cheek. All she wanted is for her brother to be happy and she’s determined to get that happiness for him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is rushes the scenes. There are just parts that I want to get to that will be slower and not rushed.
> 
> Also updating will be a little slower because I'm starting a webcomic on Instagram! It's a crossover between Percy Jackson and Sanders Sides. The username is skyespjau . The user will change when I figure out a title.

This couldn’t be happening. Nico felt himself freeze as he watched Annabeth being dragged towards the cliff edge, Percy running after her. He struggled, trying to reach them as Annabeth went over the rocky lip and Percy going with her, leaving his sword behind. He ignored the sourness of his body and the screams of Hazel as he ran to look over the edge, seeing Percy and Annabeth dangling twenty or so feet below. One of Arachne's silk ropes was wrapped around Annabeth’s broken ankle, pulling on it, making the daughter of Athena yelp in pain.

Nico reached out, trying anything to make sure they didn’t fall. But like always he felt useless, useless that he couldn’t help anyone. They didn’t deserve that, they didn’t deserve to go through Tartarus. He couldn’t let it happen,  he needed to go through instead of them. He knew the way through that awful, awful place.

He saw they were talking to each other, then Percy looked up at him, a determined look gracing his face.

“The other side, Nico! We’ll see you there. Understood?” Percy yelled up to him. No, Percy wouldn’t, he couldn’t. But he would. It’s Percy Jackson for Hades sakes.

“But-” he was cut off by the son of Poseidon.

“Lead them there!” he shouted again. “Promise me!” Promises. Nico hated promises. Promises about Bianca. A promise Jason wrote to him so long ago….

_ Nico giggled lightly, looking down at his arm as Jason wrote a joke. He picked up his black glitter pen and wrote ‘that was horrible!’. ‘Was not!’ his soulmate wrote back quickly with the same blue marker, a winky face next to the writing. _

_ For a second neither of them wrote back to the other, a moment of silence between the two soulmates. Then Nico felt the tingling feeling of Jason writing and what appeared was something he wasn’t expecting. ‘We’ll find each other, right?’ Nico paused at the sudden change of subject. Was Jason thinking otherwise? He shouldn’t be, they were soulmates after all. _

_ ‘Of course we will.’ Nico wrote back, nervously chewing on his bottom lip slightly. ‘I promise you, Nico, I will find you, whatever it takes.’ That was the last time Nico ever wrote back to Jason. _

* * *

 

Nico sighed, looking down at his old crush and said crush’s blonde soulmate. Percy’s eyes were staring right into his, those same dam sea green eyes he once fell in love with, but now it was sky blue eyes that haunted him. His face dirty and covered in bloodied scarpes. He had a death grip on Annabeth’s wrist, her own hand gripping his back.

“I-I will,” he promised the son of Poseidon, watching as Percy gave a ghost of a smile before looking down at his girlfriend.

A voice laughed from the pit, sending chills down Nico’s spine.  _ Sacrifices. Beautiful sacrifices to wake the goddess. _

Hazel was still crying, screaming for one of their friends to help Percy and Annabeth. But Nico knew no one was going to help them, someone had to close the doors and as much as he didn’t want anyone else doing it, Nico knew Percy and Annabeth could do it. Especially that they had each other.

Nico looked on helplessly as Annabeth looked up above them at the shining sun, her face gaunt as the silk rope pulled on her again. And with that Percy let go of the lip of the cliff and together they fell, holding each other.

* * *

 

Hazel was still yelling for help, even as she watched her friends fell into the darkness of the pit. Nico hugged her, pulling his sister into his side and tucking her face into his shoulder as she shook. He slowly stood up, making sure she didn’t fall.

“We need to get to the ship, Hazel. This floor won’t last any longer,” he told her over the noise of groaning and shouting. She nodded, silent tears rushing down her face, washing away the dusk and grime.

They ran, more like limped, their way to the ladder. Hazel climbed up first struggling to climb as she weeped. Nico hopped on just as the floor crumbled. The underworld siblings climbed up, Nico trying not to look down. They finally made it onto deck just as the others finished securing the Athena Parthenos. Leo ran to the controls to get the ship moving, briefly glancing at them as he ran past, not realizing they were missing two of their crewmates.

Frank ran to Hazel, taking her into her arms, sending a confused look Nico’s way. Jason and Piper ran to them after the son of Mars, stopping just a few feet away. Piper looked around, turning everywhere she could but her find will end up empty. She turned back to Nico, her eyes wide and desperate.

“W-where’s Percy and Annabeth?” she asked, her voice shaky. He looked away, not wanting to meet anyone’s eyes.

“They fell. Annabeth’s leg got caught in Archane’s webs and they fell,” he told them, barely whispering but they still heard. Piper let out a short sob, diving into Jason’s side. Jason hugged her, patting her back slightly, the sight making Nico even worse. Jason gave Nico a glare, a look that almost made Nico want to cry.

“You were there, why didn’t you save them!” he demanded, his blue eyes dark with anger. Nico gave a glare back, making the son of Jupiter hesitate.

“Don’t you think I tried? I’ve would’ve taken their spot if I could. No one deserves to go through that place but it’s Percy and Annabeth. I believe in them,” he growled pointing a finger at him, the others watching on in silence. “Instead of worrying of what we could’ve done let's worry about meeting them at the other doors,” he continued, limping over to head to the dining room, not looking to see if the others are following.

* * *

 

The five six demigods and satyr sat around the table, all looking at Nico.

“So, do we know where these doors are?” Piper asked, playing with a bracelet on her wrist. Nico nodded, fiddling with the skull ring he seemed to wear all the time.

“They’re in The House of Hades,” he said, not looking at any of his crewmates.

“Where is that then?” Leo asked this time, shoulders slumped.

“I don’t know but we’ll need to be there by the time Percy and Annabeth get out of Tartarus.”

“How are we going to find them if we don’t know?” this time Jason asks, Nico avoiding his gaze.

“I-I don’t know,” Nico looked down at his hands. They were shaking in his lap and he couldn’t control them. It wasn’t from being cold, no, it was from being scared. He didn’t know what would happen to Percy and Annabeth. Will they survive? How will they get to the doors in the House of Hades?

He was brought out of his thoughts by Jason’s loud sigh. The blond was rubbing his forehead, making Nico feel bad that he didn’t know how to get to the doors and to cause his soulmate distress.

“We’ll just have to continue our way to Bologna,” Hazel told all of them, helping the awkwardness in the air.

* * *

 

Jason heard yelling from his room. Bolting up he raced out the door, up the stairs to the deck. Leo and Piper were looking over the railing, down below them and yelling down to someone or something below.

“Give it back!” she yelled, waving her finger. Jason almost walked over to her to give Piper something he didn’t have. Her charmspeak rushing over him like a million gallons of water.

“What’s the matter guys?” he asked, trying to look down to see what they were looking at.

“Some monster stole Katropis and Leo’s toolbelt and sphere thing!” she huffed, crossing her arms, Leo looking just as annoyed behind her.

“Well, let’s go get them back then,” Jason told them giving a big grin. Piper gave a relieved sighed, brushing stray hair out of her face.

“I’ll stay here to look after the ship. You two go,” Piper told them, waving them off. Jason nodded, grabbing ahold of Leo and fell off the ship, Leo laughing his head off while poking fun and calling him Superman. Piper chuckled softly as she watched them, shaking her head at her boys.

* * *

 

The pair didn’t get back for a couple hours. They looked tired and defeated, their clothes sticking to their sweaty bodies. Piper ran up to them, her face full of fear.

“Did you get them back?” she asked. Leo made a sad face, Piper not realizing that Leo’s toolbelt was back on his waist.

“I’m sorry, Beauty Queen,” Piper’s shoulders dropped. “But we were able to get your precious dagger back,” Leo grinned, holding up her triangle shaped dagger. Piper grabbed it, her other hand punching him in the shoulder.

“Leo, that was not funny!” she yelled, her face red as everyone laughed.

“Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t help myself,” he finished his laughing fit. Jason stepped up, a more serious expression gracing his face.

“We also found something else,” Jason said, holding up a book to show everyone.

* * *

 

Nico just like everyone else felt crushed as he watched Jason get kicked and eaten by a giant turtle. Piper cried out, covering her mouth with her hand, Leo’s face fell, and Frank looked away, tears forming in his eyes.

Stupid Jason Grace, who fought many monsters but was killed by a giant turtle. Nico watched, his heart dropping as he watched Hazel clean the man’s disgusting feet. No, Nico couldn’t lose another sister.

Everyone was on their feet as they watched Hazel get kicked and fly into the turtle’s mouth. Nico dropped his sword he was holding, Frank’s shoulders dropping and the tears finally falling. No, no, no!

But his thoughts were cut off as Sciron was eaten by his own turtle, said animal going back into the sea.

They watched the empty spot where their friends were, not letting it sink in that they are dead. But after five or so minutes the area shifted, almost like a heat wave washed over the cliff. Then Jason and Hazel appeared, flying towards the ship, looking exhausted and scared.

“Hazel!” Nico cried, launching himself at his sister once they landed on the wooden deck of the Argo II. They hugged for a moment, the others looking at Nico like he grew a second head. The underworld siblings pulled apart, turning to the rest of the group. Nico blushed as he saw Jason looking at him.

“I know where The House of Hades is,” Hazel said suddenly, bringing the group's attention to her. They all looked at her, waiting. “They’re in Epirus, but we’ll need to get Diocletian’s scepter to find them,” she continued.

“How did you figure that out?” Leo questioned.

“Da-Pluto visited after Sciron was kicked off,” she told them, Nico making a sound.

“Only a child of the underworld can wield it and a Praetor needs to lead them,” Nico murmured, bring attention to himself.

“Well, I’m the only one who can go for Praetor wise. So which one of you will come with me?” Jason asked the two siblings. Hazel opened her mouth but was cut off by Nico.

“I’ll go,” Nico stepped up, holding Jason’s gaze. The blue eyed boy nodded, holding the gaze back and making Nico shiver.

“Well, we should probably get some sleep. It’s been a long day,” Jason told them, and with that everyone went to their respective rooms.

Nico watched as they all left, except for Jason who watched him.

“Yes, Grace?” he asked his soulmate. Jason frowned at him, watching as Nico turned toward where the crows nest was located.

“Where you going?” he asked. Nico pointed up, giving Jason a glance.

“Up to sleep.”

“What? You can take Percy’s or Annabeth’s room you know!” he exclaimed, watching the son of Hades roll his eyes.

“I’m good. Just go get some sleep, Grace. We’ll have a long day ahead of us.” Jason sighed but left Nico, who climbed up the ladder to the crows nest. He sat, watched the sea and the stars that glittered off the murky water. He brought a familiar black pen out of his pocket, uncapping it and bringing it to his arm. He paused, deciding if he should write to Jason or not. Before he could change his mind he wrote down one sentence.  _ ‘Just have patience.’ _


End file.
